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SIGLO MODERN FILIPINO: Traveling The Philippines Through Food with Heirloom Ingredients!

June 19, 2017

Siglo Modern Filipino celebrates its first anniversary by continuing to inspire adventurous foodies looking for that authentic Pinoy experience by traveling the Philippines through food.

Siglo (which means “century” in Tagalog), brings one hundred years of culture and cooking with Filipino heritage recipes from all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Besides supporting local farmers, we love how they promote the use of heirloom ingredients like adlai, batuan, siling labuyo, and barako into their dishes.

Located in the popular weekend getaway of Tagaytay, here’s what to expect at Siglo Modern Filipino as we try some of their new dishes and bestsellers on the menu…

One of the must-have items you should take home when going to Tagaytay are Amira’s Buco Tarts–one of the best I’ve tasted.

The restaurant has an outdoor seating if you’re looking to enjoy the cool Tagaytay breeze.

The indoor dining area is decorated with Filipino flare and interiors.

While waiting, you can enjoy answering some Pinoy trivia questions and puzzles.

Siglo Salad (P135)

One of their bestsellers. This isn’t your normal lettuce salad, with cherry tomatoes, salted egg, kesong puti, okra, eggplant, and a mix of local heirloom ingredients that you would typically find growing around.

Heirloom ingredients used:Pipinito – the small cucumberGotu Kola – the small umbrella-shaped leafPansit-pansitan – the leafy vineBignoya – the red/pink flower often used as a souring agent

Pair this Siglo original dish with their vinaigrette reduction made from a local raspberry from the mountain province called bignay. A must-try!

Crispy Tawilis – Batangas (Php170)

A trip to Tagaytay and Batangas won’t be complete unless you’ve tried the tawilis that can only survive in the volcanic waters of Lake Taal.

Did you know this slow cooked meal takes a day to finish? Cooked traditionally in a clay pot that uses the juices of the kamias fruit as the liquid and souring agent to cook the fish, Siglo’s version adds a Bicolano twist with spicy gata na laing. I like how both flavors work well together.

Siglo still practices the traditional way of making kare-kare, where you manually pulverize the nuts.

LuzViMinda Fiesta Bilao (Php 1800)

The LuzViMinda Fiesta Bilao feel like you’re traveling the Philippines with popular dishes from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Bagnet from Ilocos – Crispy golden brown skin with tender juicy pork.Kare-kare lamang dagat from Pampanga – I tried the seafood version, but I’d still opt for the classic version with oxtail and tripe.Chicken Binakol from Visayas – Binakol is another Ilonggo specialty that’s like tinola but with a twist–using coconut water and meat in the soup.Lumpiang Shanghai from Negros – I liked their crispy lumpiang Shanghai.Ubod Salad – Known as lumpiang sariwa, fresh spring roll with strachy peanut sauce.

I suggest you also try the Siglo Bilao for something more adventurous and new. Too bad they ran out of ingredients on our visit.

KKK (P90). Kamatis, Kalamansi, Karrots.

Besides all the health benefits, I like this drink for its citrusy, refreshing goodness that’ll help wash out the cholesterol from all those oily dishes.

Maruya with Barako Jelly (Php 90)

Heirloom ingredient used:Barako – Coffee from Batangas

For dessert, I like the cinnamon coated fried banana paired with their barako jelly and coffee.

Chicken Binakol – Ilonggo specialty that’s like tinola but with a twist, using coconut water and meat in the soup.

Tip: This is perfect for first timers who would want to sample each dish, so they’ll know what to get the next time. I also think it’s a good plate to impress a date.

You’ll love Siglo’s dishes. They only use the local ingredients with substitutes to ensure the dishes’ authenticity. I also love how they reinvented some of the recipes using heirloom ingredients to give them a different yet familiar twist.

Food is a big part of discovering the culture of a region. If you haven’t traveled the Philippines enough, Siglo can take you on a gastronomic journey with just a few bites.

About me

Multimedia Artist/Blogger/Vlogger/CrossFit Athlete. Hey its me, Abi! Also known as "Abeast" because of my competitive and crazy personality. My special talents include binge watching, lifting weights, jumping off cliffs, swimming with the whale sharks, eating exotic nasty insects and having a huge appetite like a guy. One fun fact about me is that I'm the first full-time employee of Our Awesome Planet. I've been blogging for 4 years, and currently in the process of becoming a vlogger. My natural habitat is either at the CF box, a new resto, traveling or spending time with family.